The event will feature Susan Fishman-Armstrong, who serves as the Waring Laboratory coordinator at the University of West Georgia.
"It's an introduction to archaeology geared toward the kids," said Interpretive Park Ranger Steve McMarty, who said the first part of the program takes place indoors. "[The program] teaches them what archaeology is, how to do it, shows some of the things use and talks about the artifacts you find. ... We then go outdoors and do some actual mock digs in the excavation boxes we have."
Fishman-Armstrong said her responsibilities at the Waring Laboratory include educational and volunteer programming.
"What I'm going to be teaching [Saturday] is education and preservation of archaeology," Fishman-Armstrong said.
She said the laboratory has two trunks full of archaeology teaching materials that can be used in elementary schools throughout the region. She will be bringing one of these trunks to the event Saturday.
"In Georgia they teach archaeology in the second grade with the Georgia Performance Standards, but it kind of stops there," Fishman-Armstrong said. "So what teachers try to do is teach all the basic core classes using [the archaeology teaching materials] as a fun tool and they are linked with the Georgia Performance Standards."
Fishman-Armstrong said archaeology is very comprehensive and requires skills like math beginning with digging a hole.
"Making a perfect square you get into the Pythagorean theorem, you're plotting maps, taking analysis, using critical thinking, if you can name it, [archaeology] uses it because it's so incorporative," Fishman-Armstrong said.
She said she will also teach on the importance of preserving archaeological sites and why trends like looting sites are detrimental to the field and to natural history.
"What [looters] are taking and stealing is information," Fishman-Armstrong said.
The event will last from 1 to 3 p.m. and the cost is $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $3.50 for youth. Group rates are available with reservation.
According to www.gastateparks.org, the 54-acre site, located at 813 Indian Mound Road Southeast, was home to several thousand Native Americans between 1000 A.D. and 1550 A.D. and contains six earthen mounds, a plaza, village area, borrow pits and defensive ditch.